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PASTEL  EXPRESSIONS 

By  JAMES  N.  ROSENBERG 


[ONE] 


PASTEL  EXPRESSIONS 

RETURN  OF  THE  27th  DIVISION 


MARCH  TWENTY  FIFTH,  1919 

By  JAMES  N.  ROSENBERG 


NEW  YORK 
MITCHELL  KENNERLEY 
CHRISTMAS,  1919 


WHEN  I was  asked  to  write  a note,  by  way  of  introduction, 
to  this  volume  of  James  N.  Rosenberg’s  Pastel  Expressions, 
I said  to  myself — You  must  erase  from  your  mind  all 
predilections  about  the  work  of  the  giants.  This  artist  does  not 
enter  into  competition  with  mighty  professionals,  living  or  gone.  He 
is  an  amateur  who  paints  in  his  spare  hours  because  he  loves  the 
adventure  of  self-expression.  You  must  delete  from  your  memory 
such  folk  as  Claude  Lorrain  and  Winslow  Homer,  Cezanne  and 
Claude  Monet.  You  must  ask  yourself  this  question:  Has  this  artist 
conveyed  to  you  the  emotion  he  felt  on  that  glorious  March  25th, 
when  the  27th  came  Home;  when,  through  our  tears,  we  saw  Fifth 
Avenue  aflame  with  color,  while  the  sun  shone,  and  we  watched  the 
fluttering  flags,  heard  the  shouts,  and  gazed  at  the  tin  helmets,  stern 
sign-manuals  of  the  lines  of  keen,  khaki  figures,  just  back  from  over- 
seas and  from  the  grim  business  of  war,  so  silent,  so  soldierly,  march- 
ing away  into  the  distance  and  into  our  hearts?  Has  this  artist 
conveyed  to  us  his  emotion  of  that  day? 

The  answer  is — yes ! What  he  felt  of  color  and  movement,  of 
light  brilliant,  and  light  corpuscular,  he  has  communicated.  In  his 
own  quick  way,  in  his  own  quick  method,  he  has  recorded  that  day 
of  joy  and  sunshine,  of  eye  elation  and  heart  gratitude.  Don’t  bother 
about  Claude  Lorrain,  don’t  bother  about  Winslow  Homer,  or  about 
Cezanne  and  Monet;  don’t  bother  about  the  giants  of  painting. 
Accept  this  artist’s  lyrical  gift;  rejoice  in  these  whiffs  of  gladness. 
For  Rosenberg  has  the  sense  of  color,  and  although  these  Pastel 
Impressions  must  be  reproduced  here  in  black  and  white,  believe  me, 
for  I have  seen  them,  they  lighten  the  walls  where  they  hang  and 
cheer  the  hearts  of  those  who,  through  them,  are  reminded  of  that 
day  in  Spring  when  the  27th  came  home.  War  passes.  Art  remains. 
It  is  something,  indeed,  it  is  a triumph  to  have  created  beauty,  swift 
and  sensitive,  out  of  the  banal  brutality  of  war. 

C.  LEWIS  HIND 


1 ON  THE  HOUSE-TOPS  AND  LEDGES 

2 WASHINGTON  ARCH 

3 WOUNDED  SOLDIERS  ON  THE  CURB 

4 NEAR  ST.  PATRICK  S CATHEDRAL 

5 THE  ARCH  OF  JEWELS 

6 MARCHING  LINES 

7 THE  CROWDS  PRESSING  FROM  THE  SIDE  STREETS 

8 LOOKING  UP  FIFTH  AVENUE 

9 WATCHING  FROM  THE  TALL  BUILDINGS 

10  FLYING  PAPER 

1 1 UNDER  THE  VICTORY  ARCH 

12  LOOKING  DOWN  ON  THE  VICTORY  ARCH 

13  LOWER  FIFTH  AVENUE 

14  WELCOME  HOME 

1 5 THE  BIG  FLAG 

16  OPPOSITE  DELMONICO  S 

17  AT  NIGHT,  THE  ARCH  OF  JEWELS 

18  SEVENTEENTH  STREET 

19  THE  SEARCHLIGHTS  NEAR  FIFTY-NINTH  STREET 

20  TAXI-CABS 

21  MORE  FLYING  PAPER 

22  WASHINGTON  ARCH 

23  THE  VICTORY  ARCH 

24  THE  ROOF  OF  DELMONICO'S 

25  THEY  COME 

26  MARCHING  MEN 

27  THE  YELLOW  LIGHTS 

28  THE  AVENUE 


WASHINGTON  ARCH 


9 


f 


WOUNDED  SOLDIERS  ON  THE  CURB 


11 


< 


1 


NEAR  ST.  PATRICK'S  CATHEDRAL 


13 


•* 


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THE  ARCH  OF  JEWELS 


15 


MARCHING  LINES 


Yt 


THE  CROWDS 

PRESSING  FROM  THE  SIDE  STREETS 


■ t 


1 


i 


LOOKING  UP  FIFTH  AVENUE 


21 


\ 1 


WATCHING  FROM 
THE  TALL  BUILDINGS 


23 


FLYING  PAPER 


25 


' 


UNDER 

THE  VICTORY  ARCH 


27 


LOOKING  DOWN 
ON  THE  VICTORY  ARCH 


29 


f 


LOWER  FIFTH  AVENUE 


31 


/ 


- 


WELCOME  HOME 


33 


THE  BIG  FLAG 


OPPOSITE  DELMONICO'S 


37 


1 


AT  NIGHT 

THE  ARCH  OF  JEWELS 


ms 


SEVENTEENTH  STREET 


41 


I 


THE  SEARCHLIGHTS 
NEAR  FIFTY-NINTH  STREET 


43 


TAXI-CABS 


MORE  FLYING  PAPER 


47 


3 


WASHINGTON  ARCH 


49 


THE  VICTORY  ARCH 


51 


i 


THE  ROOF  OF  DELMONICO'S 


53 


' 


THEY  COME 


55 


‘v  ^ 


KEJfc-aw*. 


MARCHING  MEN 


57 


/- 


■ 


THE  YELLOW  LIGHTS 


59 


THE  AVENUE 


61 


/ 


GETTY  CENTER  LIBRARY 


3 3125  00751  7713 


